


The Weight Of a False Cross

by HannaVictoria



Series: Our Better Angels [2]
Category: Charby the Vampirate
Genre: Fantastic Blasphemy, Fantastic Religious Schism, Gen, Violence, conspriacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8508724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaVictoria/pseuds/HannaVictoria
Summary: Zoren is the golden boy, a literal messiah; except oh wait, he isn't. The real messiah as it turns out is some depressed nutbar who still looks like he's twelve. Pity, cause Zoren's life and quite possibly the life of all the Scotodino Tribe depend on the Councils absurd conspiracy to do something, Zoren isn't even sure what. Does Avonlea even know? The faithful believe on him, hang on his every word, worship him as much as Orzzorren.
This is the story of people caught in the cross-hairs of people who think they know what their doing.
Within about a year, they'll all be fresh out of time. Facade is already cracking. Who do you trust when your gilded cage is about to collapse and maybe take you with it?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I love jerks. Maybe it's a lifetime of anime, but looking for good in the villains is a go to for me. Don't get me wrong these are still bad folks. Well, is Zarita? Guess we'll find out. :)

“My little brother is dead. He was disowned so I don’t see my old clan being behind this either. Something very wrong is happening here and of course everyone’s on edge.” Zoren had to admit Zarita was useful. She was hand down one of the best cooks in the village for one thing. She wasn’t totally boring also, which made the fact he had to at least pretend to pay attention to her a whole lot more bearable.

An envoy of the Demon King Samrick had come and their people had been less than hospitable. Worse he had escaped. Zoren knew better than to stand in the Elite Council’s path, but the news that the true “chosen one” was found bugged him immensely ‘Wheel my ass if he can really use those supposed immortal killing powers than I need to distance myself from the Orrotta.’ He sighed ‘One false move and this gilded cage gets a whole lot smaller, but I can’t afford not to at this point.’

“I have to say I’m curious as to what is so different about the Chavez clan?” she looked at him strange “It… was your communion with Orzzoren that illuminated their folly and what brought me here.” The question was strange even incriminating at a certain angle but the mental gymnastics of being a fake messiah were nothing new to him “Yes, but where does it come from? When dealing with divine mandates keeping a foot on the ground is necessary to reach the people who need it most.”

She looked a little taken aback “Surprising?” she smiled a little “Well, yes honestly. It just never quite occurred to me that such things might be a burden. Rather obvious in hindsight.” Now it was his turned to be surprised he hadn’t said anything about his burdens be they real or imaginary messiah problems. “You’re… the first person to ever say that to me.” Even as heartfelt as his statement came off she was suddenly incredibly self-conscious.

“My brother -the real one- he was _so_ incredibly troubled. When he started hearing and seeing things that weren’t there…” she paused seeming almost to cry “My parents were never terribly patient with him so when he started spouting heresies at a breakneck pace we knew we weren’t going to have a little brother much longer.” Her voice grew even smaller “My sisters and I tried to hide him like when you have a pet your parents won’t let you keep but he’d always either follow us back home anyway or they’d find him regardless.” she sighed.

“Eventually there was nothing more we could do. It wasn’t long before we got word of a little Scotodino boy spotted heading into the City bold as day. It didn’t take a genius to do the math.” He looked quizzical and she smiled, “Kellwood City even back in those days had such vicious hunters. My brother was no chosen one he never stood a chance.” He frowned “What I can’t understand is why anyone wanting to imitate him for any reason would use him just as he was? It’s been nearly twenty years it defies all logic that he’d be a child. The only thing they’ve succeeded at is making me feel old.”

“At thirty?” he smiled “What kind of mayflies do you take us for. I’m a bit envious honestly, you’ve found a place here so quickly even with the odds stacked against you.” It was light flattery but it had some weight behind it, coming here from a pariah clan she was very much a self-made woman and he respected that. A knock on the door “Zoren, I hope I’m not interrupting?” Avonlea was nothing if not polite and subservient in the light of day.

“Not at all. I do actually have some things I need to do?” Zoren looked to Zarita and back to his mentor “Well then I won’t keep you. Perhaps we could do this again some time?” he could just about see her hopes soar as she stumbled a bit over her farewells. The vampire laughed “Again? Are you serious?” he shrugged “She could be useful in a myriad of ways. She is by all appearances both reasonably intelligent and deeply loyal.”

Avonlea bared her fangs “Loyal to what though boy? Orrozen, to you, to the village? We could trick her into driving a knife into her dear brothers back, but if she realizes the ruse she’ll likely turn on us. People have begun to trust her in spite of her roots it would shake some’s faith if we had to label her a traitor or a spy.”

“Yes, thank you for the obvious.” He answered a bit too sharply “Do you actually _like_ this girl?” he glared ‘Damn.’ it was a hair too late scoff and call Zarita fat unfortunately “Oh dear Zoren. Don’t worry I won’t kill this one until she is a threat. I have other ways to make you comply as you well know.” He stiffened, he hadn’t forgotten those methods. The “Chosen One” was of course the pinnacle of virtue how arduous that burden was depended heavily on his “beloved” teachers the Orrotta.

“No need for that old Anh Keth.” She smirked “So bold you have grown over the years.” That history was part of the reason she let him call her that, sparingly “You have no one but yourself to blame for that. Orrozen’s chosen can’t be a wallflower.” ‘If there is a Wheel perhaps I’m here to spare the real Chosen all this dreadful fame. Can’t say I can complain about that part.’ “Adria won’t be coming early because of this mess?” something about that woman made his skin crawl in ways he was confident had nothing to do with her species.

She ignored the question entirely ‘Not a good sign.’ “It seems we lucked out with you after all. Spinelessness sounds nice but madness just wouldn’t do.” She looked over to him “Did I ever congratulate you? “Do you remember the first time you heard him speak?”, “the kindest lie”? You outdid yourself boy.” “You aren’t upset I robbed you of your opportunity to be rid of us?” as if he’d been one of them in years. Still she was more pleased than not “Free of my duty as an Orrotta, free of the council’s control, these are not things that can be accomplished quickly or easily. Even magic crumbles someday, I need only make sure I do not crumble first.”

‘She really must be pleased after all. I can’t see how holding the Anh Keth’s course will help her achieve her goals. Unless she believes my influence over the Scotodino advantageous. It is of course, but it will shatter along with their trust and the illusion.’ And then came doubtless bloodshed. “Can you conceive any way we could win them back in the event I was undeniably exposed.” She perked up at the question “Now that is what I call covering all our bases. Lying further would likely only convince some and cause further infighting and you’d still probably be killed. You could certainly plead for mercy, assuming that silver tongue doesn’t trip you might only end up banished. I suppose if you feeling particularly suicidal you could rally the poor dears to slaughter- I mean “revolution”?” she gave a particularly vicious grin.

“You’re hilarious.” He deflected “I merely wondered if you could think of anyone convenient to scapegoat. Preferably one that’s defeatable.” A softer smirk “I do like how you think.” She beckoned him to follow her into the more secret chambers. “Now let’s get-” he decapitated her almost immediately. He took a dagger to her back, but “Too slow.” She’d regenerated before he got to her back gem. She was terribly amused he’d cut her off, she teleported only to be met with a barbed stiletto rammed into her Achilles tendon. ‘Now if only the ones most anxious to dispose of me weren’t just as sturdy.’ Avonlea finally saw fit to stop playing and strike him. She used either training weapons or attacked unarmed, never with claws or anything else that couldn’t be explained away. Very few of his scars were from combat training.

He didn’t do nearly as well when she fought back, the point of the exercise was to pull out one of her gems. Well, officially he was going for her “heart” as if she were an ordinary opponent. ‘This is honestly a terrible idea. I can’t compete with the council vampires and if Adria finds out about this little “game” neither of us will be better for it.’ He sometimes wondered if the rest of the council was as loathsome as that woman. He managed to slice Lea’s jugular with a shortblade, not normally messy with the lack of blood flow but the splatter ended up on their new arrival “Wheel! Zoren!”

Malcolm was less than pleased, but he couldn’t very well shout at the boy for an obvious accident after he’d saved the elf from being strung up in the square. “So how does it feel to be an “honest” ‘honorary orrotta’?” he knew he shouldn’t be pushing. Malcolm did not like him and it was mutual, but the damn elf could pull a sermon together at a moment’s notice. “You trying to steal my job?” ‘What do you want?’ was something closer to the real question. “I have enough to worry about. So does Avonlea for that matter. Just make sure you watch yourself. You become more trouble than your worth and I’m certain she’ll enjoy a little race to see who removes your head first.” The elf stiffened. He was no fighter, he could and had poisoned a man while more than half asleep; Zoren had watched him do it. For this reason, he was a different sort of dangerous, but again they needed each other. ‘Not that I ever stop looking for poison just about everywhere. Damn elf.’

“ _That_ is a festivity for another time, specifically an ending and we’re nowhere near any version of that yet. On which note Malcolm, mind your stitches darling. We can talk about this little turn of events once we’re done here.” Zoren handed her her back-gem. She took it grinning, “Oh, this just got interesting.” Malcolm was less amused than she “Try not to give him a concussion, we need him to use that brain in a bit.” and with that the injured elf made his leave for the parlor. It said something, the preacher had generally treated him as a child or an airhead till that point. ‘Perhaps not for the best that that trust is in my competence to lie.’

**Author's Note:**

> I looked at the portrayal of the hellfire preacher with a hidden agenda, the girl who turned her back on her family for assumedly a celebrity, the false messiah playboy, and the gleeful traitor and said "Squee! So much to expand on!" And I'm sure they will be some day. For now I shall play with them!
> 
> Fun thing to keep in mind, this is a den of wolves. Everyone has hidden motives to one degree of another and seeing things from Zoren perspective doesn't exempt him, you can lie even to yourself.


End file.
